SWAROVSKIWINSREDDOTDESIGNAWARDFORBESTSTANDATBASELWORLD 2014

When we met and interviewed Swarovski’s CEO Robert Buchbauer (read interview here) at last year’s Baselworld, he was very proud of the exceptional stand Swarovski can boast today.

The stand named Wings of Sparkle received rave reviews last year and this year it has gone a step further by being awarded the 2014 RED DOT DESIGN AWARD for BEST STAND (Swarovski had been awarded the Red Dot Design twice before for its women’s watch D:Light in 2009 and men’s watch Crystallium in 2013)

Takujin Yoshioka commented: “I wanted to create the space from luminance itself. My intention was to express the space by the dazzle of light not by forms. Visitors will enter the world of Swarovski by being veiled with the light of luminance and immerse in a bath of light”.

In addition, a very special art piece is unveiled for the first time: Creative Director Nathalie Colin and artist Irinia Volkonskii were both at Baselworld to unveil an exciting up cycling project.

The art scene is a rich source of inspiration for Swarovski’s Creative Director, Nathalie Colin, and has largely inspired Swarovski’s two latest collections. In celebration of creativity and innovation, Nathalie Colin invited Russian artist Irina Volkonskii to create a unique and eye-catching art piece.

The concept centres around the representation, the fragmentation, and dematerialisation of time, using Swarovski watches from former collections as the very starting point of the art piece.

“Irina is a long-time friend and artist whom I admire very much. By inviting her to work with us, I wanted to give a second life to these beautiful products. There is so much craftsmanship and know-how behind each and every design, that provides a real opportunity to push even further their artistic storytelling,” says Nathalie Colin.

Irina, who has collaborated with Swarovski on several projects, gave a personal perspective to this special upcycling project.

“When Nathalie contacted me for this collaboration, I loved the concept immediately. I have always worked with and adored crystals,”

Irina pursued one of her dearest themes; the encounter of the gigantic and the tiny. She combined approximately 2000 Swarovski watches from former collections to create “Watchme”, a stunning sculpture in the shape of a huge watch almost two meters in height.

Swarovski Creative Director Nathalie Colin and artist Irina Volkonskistand in front of the WATCHME sculpture made from over 2000 swatches

Raw, graphic, and ornamental, the “WATCHME” sculpture comprises wood panels covered in an intricate patchwork of Swarovski watches, Crystal Mesh, chains, and studs to stunning effect. All these elements are set solidly together to express the idea that time has stopped and is fragmented.

The concept of time was highly inspiring as Irina explains

“To take time….to run after time…time runs fast…we never have enough time…I wanted to portray the idea of time flying in the sculpture. In a way, I want to print the memory of time with my art piece.”